Maker Journal #2 – Speaker Call - Drones
For my second Maker Journal, I
chose one of our guest speaker calls, Drones - with Dan LeClair on September 11, 2017 from 3:30-4:30.
My goal with selecting
this technology is to update my toolbox with more modern toolsets and to
consider as part of the Maker Journal how this tackles one of the four course
outcomes; ‘Model innovation, iteration,
and reflection through personal practice, and engagement with existing
research.’
OVERVIEW
Our guest speaker, Dan LeClair, provided
information on the University of Maine at Augusta program for Unmanned Aerial
Vehicles (UAV), a.k.a. drones. Dan is
one of the courses coordinators and a colonel in the Civil Air Patrol. Dan indicated the Bachelor of Science degree
in aviation will soon have an option of an unmanned aircraft systems
concentration, in addition to a certificate.
It was interesting to hear the age range of students in the program;
ages 16 to 86. Dan noted that UAVs
support student learning and advancement in skills since many of the students
were already employed flying drones.
In a recent Central Maine
newspaper article UMA drone program takes
off into real-world uses - CentralMaine.com, Dan
was also quoted that “the program will offer students with experience in UAV
design, building and maintenance providing a clear understanding of what’s
inside these things, how they work and how they fly, including flight
computers, motors, speed controllers, propellers and how to deal with and
control cameras”.
UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT AUGUSTA PROGRAM
The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)
program was launched in October of 2016 with 35 interested students. UMA’s website details their UAV program was
a scheduled topic at 2017 New England UAS Conference; Navigating your Airspace; Drones Application for
Business. Dr. Tom
Abbott, Project Manager for the UAV Pilot Training Center at UMA suggests that
this training has practical uses for assisting businesses and organizations
involved with; real estate, precision agriculture, search and rescue, natural
disasters, land management and construction, just to name a few. He is quoted on the webpage to say; “there
may be a way that drones/UAVs can increase your efficiencies; and reduce human
risk, as well as overall costs”.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF UAVs
After the call and review of the various
information provided by Dan, I was left thinking, are businesses and
organizations using the technology and how, here is what I found.
Real Estate Professionals
Dan mentioned there were some Real
Estate Professionals in Augusta, ME using drones to take aerial photos of homes
and property. After doing some research
I found some great YouTube videos that show how drones may be used both inside
and outside a home to photograph them.
They use models like Phantom 4 and Glidecams which are equipped
with advanced automation feacutres like object detection and collision
avoidance and an automated trick camera shots that make taking professional
footage a breeze.
 |
| Image- Phantom 4 |
 |
| Image - Glidecams |
The first one (directly below) uses a
camera drone like Phantom4 designed to move throughout the home showing a
natural visual flow of the home. Quite an improvement to market a home this way, photos
just do not provide the same look and feel.
Inside
Virtual Tour
The second (directly below) shows shots
from outside the home which has great application for demonstrating large
properties thru that aerial view.
Outside Aerial Tour
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) president is quoted
to say, “Drone technology offers a tremendous
opportunity for the business of real estate and the broader
economy. That’s why NAR continues to support the integration of drones
into the National Airspace and a regulatory landscape that allows for the
responsible commercial use of drones.”
I would suspect that not
all Maine listings would be candidates for this technology, for example, it
would not be suitable for small spaces, Glidecams might be a better fit here. That being said, for larger homes with large
spaces or tracks of land, drones are great options and provide an edge to
marketing property that was not available before.
INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO
This
instructional video was offered by Dan as supplemental information regarding
what things are covered in the course.
How
to Fly a Drone - Quad Basics (22 min 39 sec)
When learning how to fly a quadcopter, learning your controls
and how they interact together is key. Their advice when you start out is to push the
sticks very gently so the quadcopter performs slight movements, than increase
as you get more comfortable. They
describe the learning curves related to three categories as; build, tune, and
fly; essentially the categories supported in the UMA program.
The YouTube video provides instruction on the four main
quadcopter controls; roll, pitch, yaw and throttle, as well as additional information
to get you started. A summary of the
four main quadcopter controls is provided directly below:
- Roll – Done by pushing the right stick to the left or right. This move rolls the quadcopter, which maneuvers the quadcopter left or right.
- Pitch – Done by pushing the right stick forwards or backwards. Tilts the quadcopter, which maneuvers the quadcopter forwards or backwards.
- Yaw – Done by pushing the left stick to the left or to the right. Rotates the quadcopter left or right. Points the front of the copter different directions and helps with changing directions while flying.
- Throttle – To increase, push the left stick forwards. To decrease, pull the left stick backwards. This adjusts the altitude, or height, of the quadcopter.
The diagram illustrated directly below was helpful to me in understanding the controls.
Additionally the video offered expert advice and safety tips.
Expert Advice - As a beginner,
choose a place that will minimize the impact any mistakes might have. Best places to learn include large,
open space, such as a park or a field and stay away from people or animals, any
crashes could cause serious injury. Learn how the four
main quadcopter controls (roll, pitch, yaw, and throttle) affect a quadcopter’s
movement. Wind
can be your worst enemy when learning to fly and understand the safety
precautions.
Safety Tips – 1) Point the drone in away from you before starting
them. 2) Keep your fingers away from the
propellers when they’re moving. 3) Take
out the battery of the quad before doing any work on it. If it turns on
accidentally and the propellers start spinning.
CONNECTION TO ONE COURSE ESSENTIAL QUESTION
As I was developing this
Maker Journal the course essential questions that stands out for me is, “How
might we leverage consumer-level computer-based resources for constructivist
pedagogy?”. The 2017 Horizon Report discusses seven categories of technologies, tools, and
strategies used to illustrate and organize technologies into pathways of development
that are or may be relevant to learning and creative inquiry. In particular drones are categorized in
consumer technologies; technologies used recreational or professionally, that
lend themselves well to learning environment, much as we are seeing in their
usage for a program at the University of Maine at Augusta.
REFLECTION
Until recently I was on the
fence about drones, let’s face it they come with some social challenges that
are not easily overcome; invasion of privacy, security, etc. Despite all of that I cannot ignore that they
are growing in popularity and yes that there is a need for them. Drones are proving to be extremely beneficial
in places where people cannot reach or are unable to perform in a timely and
efficient manner, such as in the real estate market where real estate agents
use this technology to take aerial photographs of listings, as a real estate
professional this is a great idea; give a potential buyer a birds’ eye view of
the property, that birds’ eye view may make all the difference in their
interest in the property!
Some of the other areas they
are used include; geographic mapping, crop monitoring, law enforcement and
border control surveillance, storm tracking and forecasting hurricanes and
tornadoes. It will be interesting to see
where and how this technology evolves, speculation has it they will have
enhanced intelligent piloting capabilities (auto action for takeoff, landing and
task execution) and smart drones. In any
event I have a new appreciation for the technology and that the application
potentials are immense.
I found the video ‘How to Fly a Drone’
informative on the subject. I was left
thinking of how my son with his experience in gaming, would easily embrace this
consumer based technology, drones. There
are many aspects that I think he would enjoy, as would others with his skills
and interests, in particular the key complex challenges with building and
controlling the drones. I look forward
to see how the University of Maine at Augusta continues to build its program by
incorporating drones in the Bachelor of Science degree in aviation.
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